For the first time in the history of Havana, the epithet “dirty Jews” was uttered publicly to-day by Dr. Mencia, a member of the Cuban Parliament, at a banquet given in honour of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senor Francisco Mario Fernandez, who is now a member of the Senate.
“We shall not permit the dirty Jews to choke us”, Dr. Mencia, who is a prominent Government supporter, said in his address, which was given up to a description of the economic situation in Cuba.
The remark is interpreted here as being aimed at Mr. Harry Guggenheim, the American Minister in Cuba, rather than at the resident Jewish population.
The Cuban press features it, however, as an attack on the Jews.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.